The term passed, quickly making its way through November and into December. At the end of the last week in November, I had taken our team of Gryffindors out into the field to battle Slytherin at Quidditch. 

Ginny, some girl called Demelza Robins from fifth year, and a guy called Jimmy Peakes from fourth year were those I had selected in tryouts to be Chasers, and I had picked Cormac to be Keeper, as he was second-best to Ron last year, and he'd been forced to repeat this year due to not passing his NEWTs. Kylie and Louis were back in their Beater positions from when Fred and George got banned by Umbridge, and of course, I was the Seeker. 

And the Beaters that I had to avoid this year were Floppy and Spieler, the latter having taken over Ash's previous position. I had to duck and avoid them the whole match while they slammed Bludger after Bludger at me, and it was only due to Kylie and Louis that I didn't fucking die. 

I didn't even know that Tom had been watching until I returned to his quarters, exhausted and still in my Quidditch robes, slumping onto a loveseat beside the window while Tom got up from his armchair, swirling his red wine around in his glass slowly. 

"You did excellent." He said, raising the glass to his lips. He took a long sip, then lowered the glass, his eyes still on me. "It was exhilarating watching you catch the Snitch. I have always known that you are a winner." 

I bent down to take the kneepads off my beige joggers, avoiding his eye. So far, due to some miracle, he hadn't raised any questions to me about the DA's antics lately; well, not anything suspecting my involvement. He'd asked me if I knew anyone likely to be involved, and if Terry was the ringleader, both of which I vehemently denied. I avoided eye contact with him like the plague; I knew that if he cared enough to look into my head, he'd see that it was in fact me who was the ringleader. 

And I didn't know what he would do to me if he did find out. Would he laugh and find it amusing, as he did say that he didn't want me to lose my rebellious and mischievous side? Or would he be angry, forcing me to take another batch of Amortentia, torturing me until I hated the sight of Terry again? 

And these fears that I started to have as I continued to run a riot with the DA, contributed to my realisation that Tom... maybe didn't love me in a conventional way. And maybe that wasn't healthy. Maybe it wasn't real love, it was just infatuation. Maybe it WAS real love, but coming from such a twisted individual, it was dangerous and unhealthy and bad for my health. Bad for me. Bad for everyone around me. Bad for the world. 

I decided to leave the kneepads on, standing up suddenly with my Firebolt. I raised my arms to stretch, and Tom said sharply, "Look where you are aiming that thing!" 

I jumped; turning, I saw that I'd nearly knocked off the shelf behind me a little golden cup with a badger engraved on it. I thought I recognised it from somewhere, but the thought went out of my mind as I turned back to Tom. 

"I'm going to go hang out with my friends. Is that okay?" 

Tom regarded me for a moment, then nodded, sighing. "If you really must. I suppose beating my previous House in a Quidditch match must be something you Gryffindors celebrate." 

"Obviously." I grinned, looking away from him as I hurried towards the door before he changed his mind. "Thanks, Tommy -" 

"Not so fast." 

I froze, inches from the door. I could feel Tom coming up behind me, and his hands circled my waist, tugging me gently around. My heart was pounding. Had he seen in my eyes who I was hoping to meet? Was he going to punish Terry now? 

"Are you going to leave me without a kiss?" 

I sighed quietly in relief, raising my face up to him. I let him press his lips down onto mine, before pulling away from him. I saw the shadow of a frown on his face as I turned, opening the door. I slipped through it, for some reason feeling the urge to reach up and wipe the lingering feeling of his lips off of mine. 

"I'm here!" I announced as I sauntered into the Room of Requirement. "Don't all get up at once."

Terry, Kylie, Ginny, and Louis chuckled. The four were lounging on the sofas with Draco, Neville, Colin, and, surprisingly, Blaise. He was sitting in between Kylie and Ginny, and I grinned to myself as I moved to sit beside Terry; Kylie and Blaise have a lot in common and have similar personalities, of course they'd be friends eventually; and Ginny and Blaise were an interesting friendship, I'd seen them hanging out before, and I'd overheard Blaise giving my fiery-haired friend advice on how to woo some blonde girl. 

"Congrats on the win, Softpaw." Terry said. "Didn't get to tell you, 'cuz, y'know..." 

He scratched the back of his neck as I sighed, thinking of how Tom had ordered me to come straight back to his quarters after the match. 

"Thanks." I said. "It wasn't that hard, TBH. No offence, Draco, Zabini." 

Blaise scoffed. "No offence taken. The team was shit this year. Never had an interest in Quidditch, but if I did, I'd have beaten you every time, Potter." 

"In your dreams." I scoffed back, but there was a twinkle in Blaise's eyes that I hadn't seen before sixth year; one that I took to mean that we were friends. 

"We've come up with a plan, Daze." Ginny leaned forward, her face lit up with excitement. "Remember when Scrimgeour visited you at my house, to tell you Dumbledore's will?" 

"Yeah." I shrugged. 

"Well, you told us that he tried to leave you Gryffindor's sword. But he couldn't, because apparently it wasn't his to give or some shit." 

"Yeah, what about it?" 

"Last time anyone saw it, it was in Dumbledore's office. Terry said you needed it to destroy something. That it'll help you win against Riddle." Ginny said, glancing at Terry. Terry nodded.

"To destroy -?" I turned to Terry. "Oh my Godric. I killed the Basilisk with that. The venom..." 

I didn't say it aloud because none of the others knew about it, but my mind was now whirling. The Horcruxes... Riddle's Horcruxes... with the sword, they could be destroyed. 

"Daisy, please don't be mad." Ginny said. "I know he's your husband, and I know you think you love him -" 

"I don't." I said without thinking, then clapped my hands over my mouth. "I mean... I - I don't think I love him in the same way since the wedding. I don't know..." 

The group exchanged excited glances, all except Terry. My best friend actually looked quite worried. 

"You HAVE to love him, Softpaw." He said. "At least... at least just for a little while longer." He paused, looking around at the others, who were all now glaring accusingly at him. "What? I need to source a Boggart." He lowered his voice, hissing. 

I blinked. "I thought you hated him, Hopper." 

"I do, with everything I have." Terry growled. "But anyway, I thought we were discussing mischief and havoc. C'mon guys; the sword. Stealing it would piss Snape off so much!" 

I nodded, grinning. "Yeah, it would, wouldn't it? Because it's in Dumbledore's office, and breaking in is the ultimate act of defiance." 

"Now we're talking." Kylie leaned forward with her elbows on her thighs. 

"Now, we're going to split into three groups. One group will break in to steal the sword, and the other two will stand at opposite ends of the corridor, and try to distract anyone who tries to approach the office." Terry said. "They'll stand at the corners, so that if anyone is halted there by the group, they won't be able to see the first group coming out of the office and slipping into the classroom opposite. Then when the coast is clear, we'll all make our escape together." 

"I want to be in the first group." I said. "I want to steal the sword. Fuck Snape, that's my sword." 

And so we were all sneaking up to the headmaster's office while everyone else was in the Great Hall eating. Me, Neville, and Ginny were in the first group, while Terry, Blaise, and Louis were to take one end of the corridor, Kylie, Draco, and Colin the other. We left Terry, Blaise, and Louis while the other three ran on to the other end, Neville and Ginny walking on either side of me as we approached the gargoyle statue. 

"We don't know the password." Neville hissed. 

"We could try to guess it?" Ginny whispered, gazing up at the statue. "Um..." 

"Death." I said. 

The statue sprang aside, the spiral staircase rising up from the ground underneath it. My eyes widened in surprise. 

"Er... I was just joking, but okay." I said. "Not gonna argue." 

"It's because you're psychic." Ginny whispered, and the three of us giggled as we stepped onto the staircase. 

We didn't have much trouble getting into Snape's unlocked office (he was probably way too arrogant that he thought nobody could guess his dumb and very obvious password) and when inside, searched the whole place for the sword whilst ignoring the warnings of the paintings on the wall. Around his desk, in the cabinets, under the rickety tables, but it was nowhere to be found. 

"What the hell? Where the fuck is it?" I grabbed at my hair, my eyes sweeping the room. 

"Well, well, well." A drawling voice came from the doorway, and we all froze. "If it isn't Miss Potter and her little friends, all up to no good... yet... AGAIN." 

I turned slowly. A scowling Snape stepped forward into the room, followed closely by the two Carrows, dragging Terry, Blaise, and Louis behind them. Terry was scowling like Snape, while Louis looked like he was trying to cover up the terror in his face; Blaise simply looked indifferent to the events transpiring around him, as usual. 

"We caught your friends trying to cause a diversion in the corridor below." Snape said coldly. "Really, Multiplying Rabbits? Again, Miss Potter, Boot? I thought you'd have learned your lesson by now; causing trouble in MY school will never work." 

"Yeah? Why can't you remove the paint from your walls, then?" I folded my arms, thinking of the phrase Colin and I had painted on the wall just below us. 

Snape snarled. "Your lot will really be in for it now. Alecto, Amycus -" 

"I vouch for personally giving a demonstration on my expertise of the Cruciatus Curse in front of the whole school, Professor." The male Carrow said roughly, his eyes landing hungrily on me. "At breakfast tomorrow morning. Let them all see what happens to troublemakers in this school." 

"No." Snape said. "Bring the three of them here. Beside Miss Potter, Longbottom, and Miss Weasley." 

The Carrows reluctantly shoved Terry, Blaise, and Louis across the room, beside us. I reached out and took Terry's hand, and he squeezed mine. 

"I am going to give you all detention in the Forbidden Forest, with Professor Hagrid." Snape said, his face darkened with a deep scowl. But this sight didn't scare me. I was surprised, instead. That was a rather okay detention; why wasn't he giving us something worse? 

"What?" The female Carrow said, clearly thinking along the same lines as me. "But, Snape - they broke into your office and tried to defy us -" 

"I am aware." Snape said coolly. "But the Forbidden Forest is an appropriate punishment, it is teeming with Dark wildlife; Longbottom himself has a deep fear of the Forest, do you not, boy?" 

Neville remained silent. 

"At least give me Potter, Snape!" The male Carrow roared, his eyes bulging in fury. "She's clearly the ringleader of this whole operation, she deserves -" 

"No!" Snape shouted, and Carrow fell quiet, his eyes glinting. "Do you not pay attention, Amycus? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord. We must not harm her -" 

"Just because she's the Dark Lord's slut, she can get away with anything?" Carrow spat, and I felt something flare up in my chest. "When did being a little whore mean that you can do whatever the hell you want with no consequences?" 

"Fuck off and die." Terry snarled. Carrow turned quickly, opening his mouth with a deep scowl, but Snape held up a hand. 

"No more will be said on this, Amycus." Snape said. "Go back to your chambers. And as for you," he turned to us, furious, "get back to your Houses at once. Miss Potter, get back to the Dark Lord's quarters immediately, and do try not to make it too obvious that you have been misbehaving." 

We all scurried out of the office and down into the corridor below. We huddled underneath the slogan Colin and I had painted just the other week: 'WE ARE THE RIGHTEOUS, 

WE ARE THE FEARLESS, 

WE ARE THE DA.' 

"What are we gonna do now?" Terry whispered to himself, looking distraught. "The sword isn't there..." 

"It's okay." I tried to reassure him, but his terrified expression didn't waver. "We'll cause trouble in other ways. What was it that Snape was saying about the Multiplying Rabbits? That causing trouble in his school will 'never work'?" 

I smirked. Ginny and Louis watched me excitedly as Kylie, Draco, and Colin sprinted down the corridor to join us. 

"Let's test that theory, shall we? Let's send a message." 

~~~ 

Needless to say, Tom figured out that I'd misbehaved regardless of the fact that I didn't tell him willingly; by searching my eyes he figured out that I had kept the same friend circle, and that we'd broken into Snape's office together. 

"I do not want you consorting with those students any more." Tom told me as he held me firmly on his lap at breakfast. "They are bad news. They are a bad influence on you." 

"Ha. Very funny." I said, squirming in his lap as I felt his hardness press into my ass. "I'm the bad influence." 

"I am serious, Daisy." Tom said, his voice soft and dangerous, and I felt my skin crawl. I looked away from the students below us, all watching us with distressed looks on their faces and whispering, and up into his eyes. They were flashing with fury and another emotion I'd rarely ever seen him have; fear. "Do not go near them again." 

But I did. Again and again. I met up every night with them at our DA meetings, recruiting Peeves to help us trash the Dark Arts classroom and wreak havoc around the school, and during our detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest, Blaise and I were paired up to search for Bowtruckles. 

"You can't possibly still think Riddle has your best interests at heart, Potter." He said to me as we picked our way across a thick tangle of tree roots. "He's trying to keep you from your friends, and are you forgetting that he tortured you and sexually assaulted you?" 

"He didn't sexually assault me." I muttered, though I was heavily doubting myself. "I consented..." 

"No, you didn't." Blaise said firmly. "You call drugging someone with love potion then fucking them consensual sex? You're delusional." 

"Whatever." I said, with a sinking feeling in my chest. "Whatever, it doesn't matter - and it doesn't matter that he tortured me either, because I liked it..." 

Blaise looked at me incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "Really? REALLY?" 

I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering. "Yeah... I love him, Blaise, I really do..." 

The pleasant thoughts of Tom came rushing into my mind: us saying 'I do,' him saying that he loved me while he made love to me, dancing with him to his favourite song on the wireless until we both fell and landed on each other on the sofa, giggling and looking into each other's eyes... 

But then the not-so-pleasant thoughts came after: Tom tipping love potion into my mouth and forcing me to swallow it, him forcing me down onto my knees to perform the Cruciatus Curse on me, him forcibly pinning me down to the bed while my hands were tied and kissing me... I'd obviously not wanted anything to do with him back then... I hated him... and he knew it, yet he still did it... 

I shivered violently, tightening my grip around myself. Blaise shrugged off his school cardigan, wrapping it around my shoulders. 

"Yeah... not so much of a great guy after all, huh?" He said shrewdly, his eyes moving over my face. 

I tugged the Slytherin cardigan tighter around me, taking in Blaise's warmth. And I shook my head. 

~~~ 

The pranks were increasing by the day, and by the end of the next week, Terry and I had managed to compile the biggest amount of Multiplying Rabbits any prankster had ever gathered. Sniggering, we both released them in the Entrance Hall and transformed into our Animagus forms to roam the school and watch.

The bunnies were hopping around and started multiplying by two every ten seconds. Terry was the odd one out, being the only rabbit with curly and non-pink fur, and we dashed about, internally laughing as the bunnies kept falling off the stairs to their deaths. 

Every time they died, the rabbits were reincarnated and multiplied by three. Snape and the Carrows soon noticed the bunnies and were storming around the castle trying to Vanish them. Every time they tried to Vanish the rabbits, they multiplied by four, and every time they tried to Transfigure them, they grew to twice their size. For obvious reasons, aiming Killing Curses at them didn't work either. The other teachers simply watched without trying to help, and I swore I saw Professor McGonagall smirking. 

It took four full days to clear the school of the bright pink rabbits, by which time Terry and I had been identified as the perpetrators of the prank, and Kylie, Draco, and Louis as active members of the DA. As I was apparently 'the Dark Lord's whore' I was safe; the others, however, had to retreat to the Room of Requirement to live there permanently after the Carrows went on a rampage, demanding their heads. 

But a good thing to come out of this whole ordeal was the fact that my eyes, after the Multiplying Rabbits prank, had turned back to green. I felt that it was due to the realisation I had had as I scurried around the castle on my little puppy paws; the feeling I got when I was causing trouble and getting into mischief was something I'd never had with Tom. I'd always obeyed him, or at least did exactly what he wanted; that wasn't a life I wanted for myself. I didn't want to be obedient. It's not who I am. 

And when Tom saw my green eyes, he was furious. 

"What did I tell you?" He fumed, his eyes flashing dangerously. "What did I tell you, Daisy? You will pay for this, you will learn your lesson -" 

He dragged me painfully over to the cabinet in the corner of his drawing room, and I struggled furiously. 

"Help!" I screamed, writhing in his grip. "HELP ME!" 

"Shut up!" Tom pinned me against the wall as he waved his wand; the goblet and the bottle that I recognised all too easily flew out of the cabinet, and I sobbed as I tried to wrench away from him. 

The bottle tipped into the goblet, and Tom directed the hovering goblet into my mouth. I kept my jaw clenched shut, struggling furiously, clawing at him - Tom raised his wand again and I was on the ground in pain, writhing and screaming as white-hot knives sliced along my skin. 

"Drink it, you little slut!" I could hear Tom's snarling voice through my yells. "DRINK IT!" 

"No!" I cried out, and turned over; my shuddering body tried to crawl away from him, but he grabbed me, yanking me roughly onto my knees. "No, please don't - PLEASE, I'll be good, just please don't -" 

Tom's red eyes were almost insane with fury. Tears streamed down my face as I sobbed in fear, struggling in vain against him. My feet moved against the stone floor hopelessly, the soles of my shoes sliding slowly along without catching a grip, making my knees collapse against the harsh ground. Tom raised the goblet to my lips again, and I screamed. 

"PLEASE! PLEASE -" I jerked away from him, feeling like my chest was exploding in pure terror. "NO -" 

I tried to shut my mouth as Tom brought the goblet closer, but it was too late; the metal edge of the goblet was pressed into my mouth, and my jaw couldn't close. The liquid poured into my mouth, and I spluttered and gagged as I tried to spit it out. The goblet withdrew, and Tom's hand replaced it, covering my mouth, holding my jaw shut; his other hand came up and he pinched my nose shut. 

"Don't be stubborn, Daisy." Tom breathed. "Don't be stupid; you won't kill yourself just to spite me, will you?" 

I struggled fruitlessly against him. I was quickly losing air; my lungs were screaming; black spots were gathering in my vision; I had only one choice - 

With a whimper, I swallowed. And just like that, I was let go; I fell to the ground, taking in great shuddering breaths, and a feeling of dread swept through my body right before the pink returned, clouding my vision. 

I sat up after a minute, gazing at Tom. He was glaring down at me, and we held eye contact for a moment before he scoffed, stalking off. I followed him, crawling on my hands and knees; he stopped before the fireplace, his hands clenched into fists, and his enraged eyes reflected the flames. 

"You look angry, let me soothe you." I purred, reaching up for his belt. "Let me -" 

"No!" Tom whirled around. "I am not in the mood for your slutty mouth around me right at this instant, Daisy!" 

My mouth continued to hang open, but not to be seductive; now, I was confused. 

"I am very disappointed in you." Tom said in almost a growl. "I had high hopes for our marriage. Maybe someday you will learn to truly love me again... But I am full of regret that you have forced my hand. No - stay on your knees!" 

I blinked up at him, getting back down; huh? 

But his intentions were apparent a second later; his wand was out, and he was yelling, "Crucio!" 

And this was the biggest mistake he could have made at that moment. When just before, I was already falling out of love with him... when just before, I was realising that I was never truly in love with him in the first place. 

That night, after several hours of intense torture, I sneaked out, quietly sobbing, to the Room of Requirement. There, Terry was still awake, even though it was two in the morning, and he took me into his arms, holding me and soothing me until I stopped crying an hour later. 

"Softpaw, what did he do to you?" Terry whispered, cradling me. "What did that monster do to you?" 

"He - he tortured me." I sniffled, and Terry's grip on me tightened. "He gave me the potion again -" 

"He what?" Terry's voice was sharp. 

"But I don't think it worked that good." I added. "I - I don't think I love him the same... I don't see any clouds any more... I did at first when he gave it to me earlier, but..." 

Terry's eyes widened. "Er - Daze, stay right here. Okay? I'll be right back." 

And with that he dashed out of the Room of Requirement. I waited for fifteen long minutes for him to return, anxiously fiddling with the end of Blaise's cardigan, and when he returned with a set of blankets, I let out a breath of relief that I didn't realise I had been holding. 

"Here." Terry said. "Here, take these, wrap them around you -" 

He thrust the blankets at me. I recognised them as blankets from a bed in a Gryffindor dorm. I took them hesitantly, watching him curiously. 

"Just - here." Terry wrapped the blankets around me himself, and I breathed in the smell of them. For some reason, they were comforting... I had buried my face in these in the first month I had been here, breathing in the smell, but I hadn't realised why... I hadn't TRULY smelt them at the time, not being able to distinguish the scent from the love potion I was being fed three times a day. 

But now... now, I remembered. Gunpowder and marshmallows... being wrapped in these blankets after I had lost a lot of blood in a fifth year Quidditch practice, by the twins... being wrapped in these blankets in sixth year after my last excursion with Tom, cuddling with the twins at night... being wrapped in these blankets as I snuggled into Fred... 

Fred, the love of my life... 

Terry watched me excitedly. I raised my eyes to his, all doubts and confusion falling away from me. I knew now. I was clear. Everything was so much clearer. 

"Fuck Riddle." I said, sitting up straight. "I'm... I'm in love with Fred Weasley. I'm Daisy Potter, and I'm the Chosen One."